Gender Fluid | Queer Books for Teens

The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3)

By Rick Riordan

In book three of The Gods of Asgard, Magnus Chase, formerly homeless child of the Norse god Frey and now resident of Valhalla and his friends – hijabi Valkyrie Sam, dwarf Blitz and deaf ASL-signing elf Hearth, and genderfluid Alex – travel to stop the escaped Loki from triggering Ragnarok, the end of the world. Includes a slow burn romance.

One of our Best of Trans Books: “Alex’s gender identity is crucial to the plot, but doesn’t rehash any clichéd narratives about coming out or overcoming oppression; Alex’s gender fluidity saves the day.”

Publisher’s Description:

“Magnus Chase, a once-homeless teen, is a resident of the Hotel Valhalla and one of Odin’s chosen warriors. As the son of Frey, the god of summer, fertility, and health, Magnus isn’t naturally inclined to fighting. But he has strong and steadfast friends, including Hearthstone the elf, Blitzen the dwarf, and Samirah the Valkyrie, and together they have achieved brave deeds, such as defeating Fenris Wolf and battling giants for Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. Now Magnus and his crew must sail to the farthest borders of Jotunheim and Niflheim in pursuit of Asgard’s greatest threat. Will they succeed in their perilous journey, or is Ragnarok lurking on the horizon?”

Genre: Fantasy

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boy: Magnus Chase
Cis girls: Samirah
Gender fluid: Alex

Sexual and Romantic Orientation
Magnus loves Alex through all genders, and could be described as pansexual
Samirah is straight

Race/Ethnicity:
Samirah is Arab-American

Disability:
Hearthstone is deaf and uses ASL.

Religion:
Samirah is Muslim and wears a hijab

Additional Notes:

The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #2)

By Rick Riordan

In the second book of this series, protagonist Magnus Chase, formerly homeless child of the Norse god Frey and now resident of Valhalla, continues his adventures with hijabi Valkyrie Sam, dwarf Blitz and deaf ASL-signing elf Hearth. They are joined by genderfluid Alex to find the missing sword of Thor.

Check out this book and more on our best of list for books with trans characters.

Publisher’s Description:

Thor’s hammer is missing again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon–the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn’t just lost. It has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can’t retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants. Ragnarok will begin. The Nine Worlds will burn. Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer’s return is the gods’ worst enemy, Loki–and the price he wants is very high.

Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boy: Magnus Chase
Cis girls: Samirah
Gender fluid: Alex (Alex uses she/her and he/him pronouns.)

Sexual and Romantic Orientation
Magnus loves Alex through all genders, and could be described as pansexual
Heterosexual: Samirah
Alex never defines her sexual orientation.

Race/Ethnicity:
Samirah is Arab-American
Magnus is White

Disability:
Hearthstone is deaf and uses ASL.

Religion:
Samirah is Muslim and wears a hijab

grl2grl

By Julie Anne Peters

A collection of short stories by Julie Anne Peters about Lesbian/Queer teens, including one short story about a trans boy and another about abuse.

Publisher’s Description

In this honest, emotionally captivating short story collection, renowned author and National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters offers a stunning portrayal of young women as they navigate the hurdles of relationships and sexual identity.

From the young lesbian taking her first steps toward coming out to the two strangers who lock eyes across a crowded train, from the transgender teen longing for a sense of self to the girl whose abusive father has turned her to stone, Peters is the master of creating characters whose own vulnerability resonates with readers and stays with them long after the last page is turned.

Grl2grl shows the rawness of teenage emotion as young girls become women and begin to discover the intricacies of love, dating and sexuality.

Genre: Short stories

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: many
Trans boy: Vince
Genderfluid: Andi

Sexual Orientation:
Lesbian/Queer: many

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: many

Race/Ethnicity:
White: many

Religion
Christianity

Trigger warnings: sexual assault/rape, abuse

Symptoms of Being Human

By Jeff Garvin

Riley starts a tumblr to talk about their struggles with their gender identity– but then it goes viral and is discovered by someone at Riley’s new school who threatens to out them. As the child of a conservative congressman running for re-election, that could get really bad.

Publisher’s Description:

The first thing you’re going to want to know about me is: Am I a boy, or am I a girl?

Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. The thing is…Riley isn’t exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in uber-conservative Orange County, the pressure—media and otherwise—is building up in Riley’s so-called “normal” life.

On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it’s REALLY like to be a gender fluid teenager. But just as Riley’s starting to settle in at school—even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast—the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley’s real identity, threatening exposure. Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created—a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in—or stand up, come out, and risk everything.

Genre: Contemporary

Representation:
Gender:
Genderfluid: Riley
Cis girls: Bec (side character)

Sexual Orientation:
Queer: Riley, Bec

Romantic Orientation:
Not mentioned in the book. Presumed to be the same as the characters’ sexual orientation.

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Riley, Bec

Disability:
Riley has anxiety and depression

Trigger Warnings:
Physical Assault
Sexual Assault
Suicide
Bullying
Stalking

Felix Yz

By Lisa Bunker

Felix at the age of 3 was accidentally fused with a 4th dimension being named Zyx. Now that he’s 13, he may undergo a dangerous surgery to remove that creature. What follows is his blog, which reveals more about his family, his life, the pain he goes through, and the hopes he has.

Publisher’s Description

“If it wasn’t for the fused-with-Zyx thing, I suppose I would just be normal—whatever that means.”

When Felix Yz was three years old, a hyperintelligent fourth-dimensional being became fused inside him after one of his father’s science experiments went terribly wrong. The creature is friendly, but Felix—now thirteen—won’t be able to grow to adulthood while they’re still melded together. So a risky Procedure is planned to separate them . . . but it may end up killing them both instead.

This book is Felix’s secret blog, a chronicle of the days leading up to the Procedure. Some days it’s business as usual—time with his close-knit family, run-ins with a bully at school, anxiety about his crush. But life becomes more out of the ordinary with the arrival of an Estonian chess Grandmaster, the revelation of family secrets, and a train-hopping journey. When it all might be over in a few days, what matters most?

Genre: Science fiction

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Felix
Genderfluid: Grandy (Felix’s grandparent)

Sexual Orientation:
Gay/Queer: Felix
Bisexual: Felix’s mom

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Felix
Biromantic: Felix’s mom

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Felix
Multiracial: Hector (love interest)

Disability: Felix’s alien possession is treated like a disability, includes verbal processing and mobility difficulties

Trigger warnings: disability cured